Earth Moon and Sun Amplify

Three observers made the diagrams above to show what they think the Moon looks like when it is seen from above (top view). In these diagrams, the sunlight is coming from the left, as shown by the arrows. Which diagram is accurate and why?

• Diagram A is accurate because the half of the Moon that is facing the sun is lit by the sun, and the other half is dark.

• Diagram B is accurate because the whole Moon is bright as long as there are no shadows covering parts of it.

• Diagram C is accurate because the Moon is almost as far as it can be from the sun, and so almost none of the Moon is lit by the sun.

• All three diagrams are sometimes accurate because the Moon has some lighter-colored rock and some darker-colored rock, and the half of the Moon with the lighter-colored rock rotates to face different directions.

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the shape of the illuminated part of the Moon as it appears from Earth

• lunar eclipse

• moon phase

• orbit

• sun

• model

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a moon phase where the illuminated portion of the Moon is not visible from the Earth

• new moon

• full moon

• gibbous moon

• waning

• waxing

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a moon phase that looks like half a circle from Earth

• quarter moon

• full moon

• new moon

• gibbous moon

• crescent moon

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the border between light and dark on the Moon

• illuminate

• terminator

• solar system

• pattern

• model

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Leticia is a space scientist who made this diagram of the Moon and Earth as seen from above (top view), with sunlight coming from the left, as shown by the arrows. Why does Leticia’s diagram show that it’s brighter on the left half of the Moon?

• Because there is a shadow from Earth falling on half of the Moon.

• Because the Moon has some lighter-colored rock and some darker-colored rock

• Because half of the Moon that is facing the sun is lit by the sun, and the other half is dark.

• Because as the Moon gets closer to the sun more of it is lit by the sun,

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Tania went outside and made two observations of the Moon that were several days apart. Her observations are shown above. The light part of the Moon appeared to get larger over time. Why did this happen?

• The Moon moved so that Tania was able to see more of the half that faces the sun.

• The Moon moved closer to the sun so more sunlight reached the Moon’s surface.

• The Moon rotated so that more of the light-colored rock on the Moon’s surface faced Earth.

• Earth’s shadow moved and was blocking less of the Moon so Tania was able to see more of it.

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The diagrams above show Earth and the Moon in different positions, as seen from above. Sunlight is coming from the left but Moon is dark in all of them. Could the half of the Moon that faces Earth ever be completely dark in any of these diagrams? Remember what causes a lunar eclipse!

• No, the Moon is always lit by the sun.

• Yes, the Moon is always be completely dark in Diagrams 2 and 3, but never in Diagram 1.

• Yes, the Moon is always completely dark in Diagram 1, but never in Diagrams 2 or 3.

• Yes, the Moon is always completely dark in Diagram 2 and sometimes could be dark in Diagram 3.

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Three student astronomers made the diagrams above to show what they think the Moon looks like when it is seen from above (top view). In these diagrams, the sunlight is coming from the left, as shown by the arrows. Which diagram is accurate and why?

• Diagram A is accurate because the Moon is almost as far as it can be from the sun, so almost none of the Moon is lit by the sun.

• Diagram B is accurate because the half of the Moon that is facing the sun is lit by the sun, and the other half is dark.

• Diagram C is accurate because the whole Moon is bright as long as there are no shadows covering parts of it.

• All three diagrams are sometimes accurate.

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Astronomers made two observations of the Moon that were several days apart. Their observations are shown in the diagram above. The light part of the Moon appeared to get larger over time. Why did this happen?

• Between the first observation and the second observation, the Moon rotated so that more of the light-colored rock on the Moon’s surface faced Earth.

• Between the first observation and the second observation, the Moon moved so that the astronomers were able to see more of the half that faces the sun.

• Between the first observation and the second observation, the Moon moved closer to the sun so more sunlight reached the Moon’s surface.

• Between the first observation and the second observation, Earth’s shadow moved and was blocking less of the Moon so the astronomers were able to see more of it.

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